The Latest: O'Rourke sorry for teen writing, wife comment

Updated
12:02 am EDT, Saturday, March 16, 2019

Former Texas congressman Beto O'Rourke speaks to local residents during a stop at the Central Park Coffee Company, Friday, March 15, 2019, in Mount Pleasant, Iowa. O'Rourke announced Thursday that he'll seek the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination. less

Former Texas congressman Beto O'Rourke speaks to local residents during a stop at the Central Park Coffee Company, Friday, March 15, 2019, in Mount Pleasant, Iowa. O'Rourke announced Thursday that he'll seek ... more

Photo: Charlie Neibergall, AP

Photo: Charlie Neibergall, AP

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Former Texas congressman Beto O'Rourke speaks to local residents during a stop at the Central Park Coffee Company, Friday, March 15, 2019, in Mount Pleasant, Iowa. O'Rourke announced Thursday that he'll seek the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination. less

Former Texas congressman Beto O'Rourke speaks to local residents during a stop at the Central Park Coffee Company, Friday, March 15, 2019, in Mount Pleasant, Iowa. O'Rourke announced Thursday that he'll seek ... more

Democratic presidential contender Beto O'Rourke is acknowledging mistakes he made as a teen and as a candidate as he responds to criticism of his campaign rhetoric toward his wife as well as writings he produced online as a teenager.

While taping the "Political Party Live" podcast in Iowa on Friday, he said his joke that his wife had raised their three kids "sometimes with my help" was a "ham-handed" attempt to highlight her work. He said that criticism of his comment was "right on" and that he won't make the remark again.

He also said he was "mortified" by the violent fiction he wrote as at 15. O'Rourke wrote a handful of posts on a hacker group's message board, including a fictional piece about children getting run over by a car.

When asked Friday outside a campaign stop in Fairfield, Iowa, when he'd share his numbers, he said, "Soon."

He says: "I don't have a definite plan. We're not ready to release them now."

The former Texas congressman entered the 2020 presidential race Thursday. He raised an eye-popping $80 million in grassroots donations in his failed U.S. Senate race in Texas against Republican Ted Cruz last year, all while largely avoiding money from political action committees.

So far, Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders has set the pace for grassroots donations in 2020, pulling in $6 million during his first day as a candidate.

Asked if he thought he would top Sanders, O'Rourke said only, "We'll see."